Eminem almost abandoned his rap career before it even began after he was booed during his "traumatic" first gig.

The Slim Shady star made a name for himself by taking part in rap battles in the clubs of his native Detroit, Michigan, in the early '90s, but he was left so horrified by the cold reception from the crowd at his first competition, he nearly hung up the microphone for good.

The Grammy winner says, "The first time I rapped in front of actual people that mattered, in a club, I got booed. And it was very traumatic for me. I just remember it being so f**king traumatic, and I think I went home and I was like, 'Man, I quit'. And you know a week later, a day later, an hour later, I got the urge, and I was like, 'I gotta get up, I gotta do it again'."